Flipping the Switch: How Risk of Interference Determines the Occurrence of Proactive or Retroactive Dual-Task Interference

Woytaszek, Ron (2020) Flipping the Switch: How Risk of Interference Determines the Occurrence of Proactive or Retroactive Dual-Task Interference. Research Project 2 (major thesis), Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences.

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Abstract

All multi-taking behaviour comes with a cost, namely that one task is processed preferentially. Typical findings in the dual-task literature show, in various paradigms, proactive interference, and, thus, a preferential processing of the first task (Task 1). A central bottleneck has been proposed to gating processing order, following a first-come first-served principle (Strobach, Hendrich, Kübler, Müller, Schubert, 2018). However, a recent study by Nieuwenstein, Scholz, and Broers (2014) showed that retroactive interference can be induced if the probability of the occurrence of Task 2 is reduced. They argue for an Interference Control Theory (ICT), in which an attentional suppression mechanism, protecting Task 1 processing, is either activated or deactivated depending on the risk of interference. Here we show, in two experiments, that the findings of Nieuwenstein et al. (2014) replicate, and that the ICT follows an all-or-nothing principle. We recommend additional studies to fully understand the dichotomous nature of this suppression mechanism. Our results demonstrate that time of arrival at the central bottleneck is not the only determinant of processing priority, but that risk of interference plays a crucial role. In conclusion, our research shows that risk of interference should be taken into account in the design of cognitive experiments, to both validly answer prominent research questions and investigate multi-taking behaviour in daily life.

Item Type:	Thesis (Research Project 2 (major thesis))
Supervisor name:	Nieuwenstein, M.R. and Akyurek, E.G.
Degree programme:	Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences
Thesis type:	Research Project 2 (major thesis)
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2020 12:22
Last Modified:	27 Jul 2020 09:34
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/22470

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